Altria Group, Inc. is an American corporation and one of the world's largest producers and marketers of tobacco, cigarettes, and medical products in the treatment of illnesses caused by tobacco. It operates worldwide and is headquartered in Henrico County, Virginia, just outside the city of Richmond.
Big Tobacco is a name used to refer to the largest companies in the tobacco industry. According to the World Medical Journal, the five largest tobacco companies are: Philip Morris International, Japan Tobacco, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, and China Tobacco. These companies have substantial power economically, with revenues matching some small countries. These companies are well known for lobbying governments, advocating for looser restrictions and lower taxes.
Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) is an American multinational tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. The most recognized and best selling product of the company is Marlboro; its other major cigarette brands include L&M and Chesterfield. Philip Morris International is often referred to as one of the companies comprising Big Tobacco.
Next is a brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by Philip Morris International. The original acronym for Next was a reference to "nicotine extracted".
An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), or vape, is a device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such, using an e-cigarette is often called "vaping". The atomizer is a heating element that vaporizes a liquid solution called e-liquid, which quickly cools into an aerosol of tiny droplets, vapor and air. The vapor mainly comprises propylene glycol and/or glycerin, usually with nicotine and flavoring. Its exact composition varies, and depends on several things including user behavior.
The Involve Foundation is a UK based charity "working with governments, parliaments, civil society, academics and members of the public to create, advocate for and deliver new forms of public participation", like, for example, citizens' assemblies. Its headquarters are in Bethnal Green in Central London, and it has offices in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Blu is an electronic cigarette brand, produced by Fontem Ventures based in Amsterdam and owned by British tobacco company Imperial Brands. The brand Blu sells various types of rechargeable and disposable e-cigarettes with a wide selection of flavored and unflavored liquids. Its products are available in many countries and each market offers different types of products suited to public demand and opportunities.
The scientific community in the United States and Europe are primarily concerned with the possible effect of electronic cigarette use on public health. There is concern among public health experts that e-cigarettes could renormalize smoking, weaken measures to control tobacco, and serve as a gateway for smoking among youth. The public health community is divided over whether to support e-cigarettes, because their safety and efficacy for quitting smoking is unclear. Many in the public health community acknowledge the potential for their quitting smoking and decreasing harm benefits, but there remains a concern over their long-term safety and potential for a new era of users to get addicted to nicotine and then tobacco. There is concern among tobacco control academics and advocates that prevalent universal vaping "will bring its own distinct but as yet unknown health risks in the same way tobacco smoking did, as a result of chronic exposure", among other things.
Juul Labs, Inc. is an American electronic cigarette company that spun off from Pax Labs in 2017. The Juul electronic cigarette atomizes nicotine salts derived from tobacco supplied by one-time use cartridges.
Ploom is a brand of tobacco heating devices that integrates aspects of both traditional and electronic cigarettes. The device employs a technology that heats tobacco without combustion. It is marketed by Japan Tobacco Inc. (JTI).
NJOY, LLC is an American company that manufactures and distributes electronic cigarettes and vaping products. The company has been under wholly ownership of Altria Group since 2023.
A heated tobacco product (HTP) is a tobacco product that heats the tobacco at a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes. These products contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive chemical. The heat generates an aerosol or smoke to be inhaled from the tobacco, which contains nicotine and other chemicals. HTPs may also contain additives not found in tobacco, including flavoring chemicals. HTPs generally heat tobacco to temperatures under 600 °C (1100 °F), a lower temperature than conventional cigarettes.
Iqos is a line of heated tobacco products designed to be used with tobacco and zero-tobacco nicotine-containing consumables. They are manufactured by Philip Morris International (PMI). The brand was first introduced in November 2014 in Japan and Italy. At the end of 2023, smoke-free products made up nearly 40% of PMI's total net revenue and gross profit, with Iqos surpassing Marlboro in terms of net revenue.
The Foundation for a Smoke-Free World is an organization focused on smoking harm reduction founded in 2017. In May 2024, it changed its name to Global Action to End Smoking. The World Health Organization (WHO) urged not to collaborate with this front organization of the tobacco industry. Stanford University School of Medicine's extensive research has also exposed PMI's claims to move away from cigarettes and become 'smoke-free' as propaganda.
The composition of the emissions generated from heated tobacco products are generally lower than that found in cigarette smoke. This is due to the comparatively low temperatures, the filter systems, and physical design. The composition of what is produced is complex. The main toxicants found in the emissions of cigarette smoke are also found in the emissions of these products in varying concentrations. The aerosol generated contains levels of nicotine and cancer-causing chemicals that are comparable to regular cigarettes. The emissions contained 84% of the nicotine found in regular cigarettes.
Electronic cigarettes are marketed to smoking and non-smoking men, women, and children as being safer than cigarettes. In the 2010s, large tobacco businesses accelerated their marketing spending on vape products, similar to the strategies traditional cigarette companies used in the 1950s and 1960s.
Nicotine salts are salts formed from nicotine and an acid. They are found naturally in tobacco leaves. Various acids can be used, leading to different conjugate bases paired with the ammonium form of nicotine.
Zyn is a Swedish brand of nicotine pouches. Zyn pouches are designed to be placed between the gums and lip, allowing nicotine to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the soft tissue. They are available in several variants with different nicotine strengths and flavours. While often compared to snus, nicotine pouches do not contain any tobacco, but remain addictive due to their nicotine content.
Philip Morris Ukraine is a Ukrainian subsidiary of the American tobacco corporation Philip Morris International, with a product portfolio consisting of cigarettes and smoke-free products.
